Concept art affirms 'Splosion Man is real

Well I'll be. Yesterday's it-might-be-but-might-not-be April Fool's joke announcement of 'Splosion Man was indeed legit. Twisted Pixel -- who obviously have vaguely twisted ideas on how to market their game as well -- have five pieces of concept art showing off the fiery, titular lead; a two-story, four-armed, meat-and-bones boss; a unicycle robot with electric-plug fingers; a blast-goggled science guy armed with test tubes; and said science guy exploding in all his 2.5D glory into hammocks and baby-back ribs ("The smell of their destruction terrifying, but also a little succulent," Twisted Pixel offers).

Scientists are unleashing a barrage of technology to stop 'Splosion Man, in which they might succeed against one of them, but the odds are definitely not in the science guys' favor during four-player co-op via Xbox Live (that particular service is not yet confirmed, but expected) and/or splitscreen (which is confirmed). The arcade intentions are solidified by the inclusion of leaderboards which will prove integral to the spirit of competition amidst the panoply of destruction.

Until in-game shots emerge, here are the aforementioned conceptuals:

BY THE WAY, WE WEREN’T KIDDING ABOUT ‘SPLOSION MAN

Creators of The Maw Confirm Next Title For Xbox LIVE® Arcade

AUSTIN, TX – April 2, 2009 – Millions quake in fear today as Twisted Pixel Games confirms the existence of the ‘Splosion Man. In a world already doomed by the planet-scourge The Maw, this new threat emerges from a top-secret military lab, big science gone wrong. His tale will be found on Xbox LIVE® Arcade shortly before the world is incinerated.

The Man Behind The ‘Splosion

Like a bad Icarus metaphor, scientists create ‘Splosion Man too close to the Sun. Born of plasma and flame in an underground military lab, ‘Splosion Man can ‘splode at will, propelling himself around a side-scrolling world and destroying everything in his way. Scientists unleash all of their technology in an attempt to stop him, but his path is relentless. Any scientist he catches is ‘sploded into chunks of ham and ribeyes, the smell of their destruction terrifying, but also a little succulent.

The Four ‘Splosions of the Apocalypse

Scattered video feeds point to a chilling prospect: ‘Splosion Man may not be alone. Up to four ‘Splosion Men have been seen traveling in concert, ‘sploding off of each other and working cooperatively towards total mayhem. Further reports indicate the controllers of these ‘Splosion Men may be huddled together on couches, some may be connected via the interwebs, or perhaps even on couches and interwebs at the same time.

A Sick Populace Responds

Rather than phoning Mom or their local Congressman, some have seen fit to embrace this scientific monstrosity, going so far as to score his destruction and his fastest times and posting them to “leaderboards.” Others have championed the largest creations of the scientists, dubbing them “bosses” and marveling at their strength and power. Still others have acknowledged the upcoming destruction of our world and sat back to enjoy some last barbequed ribs; this is the only response we can truly condone.

About Twisted Pixel Games, LLC

Founded in 2006 by industry veterans, Twisted Pixel is the independent game development studio behind the 2009 IGF finalist and 2008 PAX 10 Audience Choice Award winning game The Maw for Xbox LIVE® Arcade, Steam, Greenhouse, and Direct2Drive. The company has two goals: 1) To create inspiring, character-driven original IP for premiere console titles; and 2) Providing top-flight contract games development work to leading publishers on their highly-anticipated titles. Learn more about us at www.TwistedPixelGames.com.